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Iran Steps Up Plans Against United States Officials, Memo Warns

A memorandum from Jay Clayton to Marco Rubio, copied to John Ratcliffe, warns that Iran substantially stepped up plans against United States personnel, now in…

--- The context --- The war against Iran, begun by the United States and Israel on February 28, is about to reach eight months and continues to shape the security agenda of Washington in the Middle East and in other regions. Against that prolonged backdrop, protecting United States personnel posted abroad has returned to the center of intelligence concerns, according to an internal memorandum dated this Friday, 23.10.2026. --- The facts --- The Director of National Intelligence, Jay Clayton, sent the memorandum to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with a copy to CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and said Iran has substantially stepped up its plans to attack United States officials. According to the document, information received through various channels indicates that lethal plans against United States citizens have reached an advanced phase both in the Middle East and in other countries. Clayton also explained that he found individuals without authorization receiving certain intelligence data and analysis about Iranian attempts to attack United States government officials in different regions. --- The positions --- The position expressed in the memorandum combines warning with an internal correction: the sensitive material has already been provided to duly authorized members of the team of Rubio, and the information will be detailed to the secretary of state whenever he wishes. The document adds a commitment to do everything possible to reduce the confidentiality of most of the intelligence so it can be shared with State Department personnel at the discretion of Rubio. --- What remains unknown --- The source does not specify which countries concentrate the advanced phase of the plans or which officials face the greatest risk, and it does not detail what additional protective measures will follow from this warning. --- Unanswered questions --- Which regions concentrate the greatest risk for United States personnel according to the information received? How did sensitive data reach individuals who were not authorized to receive it? What concrete changes in personnel protection will follow from this memorandum? --- EPM analysis --- The warning joins two sensitive fronts: an external threat described as advanced and an internal weakness in the handling of classified information. That both problems appear in the same memorandum addressed to the chief diplomat suggests the response will require close coordination between intelligence agencies and the State Department, with attention to who accesses which data and how quickly essential information is shared to protect exposed personnel. 📌 EPM Take: In EPM's view, the most worrying element is not only the advanced phase attributed to the Iranian plans, but that the warning arrives alongside unauthorized access to the very intelligence meant to anticipate them. Protecting personnel requires closing that internal gap with the same urgency applied to the external threat, because poorly guarded sensitive information weakens any prevention strategy and leaves officials more exposed precisely when the risk is growing across several regions.
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